5 Essential Tips for Cleaning Solar Panels Properly
In the quest for clean, renewable resources, solar panels have become a popular choice among environmentally conscious homeowners. However, to maintain optimal efficiency, they need to be cleaned periodically. Maximizing the performance of your solar panels is essential to ensure they continue generating energy efficiently. To keep them in top condition, our solar panel cleaning solution offers tried-and-tested tips and solutions to get rid of dirt, dust, and grime with ease. This may seem simple enough, but solar panel cleaning is much more complicated than just using soap and water. To maintain the integrity of your solar panel system, the cleaning solution you use needs to take into account several factors:
Solar panels need to be cleaned periodically to maintain their function
The cleaning of solar panels is a crucial part of maintaining the functionality and lifetime of these expensive pieces of equipment. Cleaning your solar panels will help to increase their efficiency, protect against corrosion, and reduce maintenance costs.
To clean your solar panels, you will need:
✅ Solution (see below)
✅ Brush(es)
Spot-check your panels before cleaning
It's important to spot-check your solar panels before cleaning. Use a soft brush or cloth and gently rub down the surface of the cells to remove any loose debris. Don’t use too much pressure or you might damage the panel, just a gentle wipe-down should be sufficient. Make sure you check all sides of the panel, including upper and lower surfaces plus mounting brackets, and any other parts that may have built up dirt or dust.
This may seem simple, but solar panel cleaning is much more complicated than just using soap and water
This may seem simple, but solar panel cleaning is much more complicated than just using soap and water. Solar panels are made from a variety of materials, and the type of material used will determine whether or not you can use soap and water to clean your solar panels. These materials include:
✅ Silicon (the most common material)
✅ Amorphous silicon (made by applying heat to liquid silicon)
✅ Polycrystalline silicon (highly efficient)
✅ Thin-film solar cells
Solar panel cleaners are available in many different forms; however, they all work in essentially the same way by removing dirt and debris from the surface of your solar panels using mild soap and water solution applied directly onto them using a soft cloth!
Remove All Excess Rust from Your Solar Panels
To remove excess rust from your panels, use a wire brush or sandpaper to clean them thoroughly. Make sure to wear protective gloves while doing this because it can be sharp!
To maintain the integrity of your solar panel system, the cleaning solution you use needs to take into account several factors
✅ The chemical makeup of your solar panels: Solar panels are made up of different materials and can be damaged by some chemicals.
✅ The weather where you live: The temperature, humidity level, and other environmental factors will affect how frequently you need to clean your system.
✅ The composition of your roof or whatever surface they are on: If it's covered in dirt or dust, those particles will lessen the amount of energy produced by your panels.
The chemical makeup of your solar panels and their age
Before you begin to clean your solar panels, take a look at the surface they are attached to. Roofs and walls can be made up of polycarbonate plastic or fiberglass, which have different chemical makeup than solar panel glass. This is why it's important to know the surface that your panels are attached to because you can use different cleaning solutions on each one.
Another thing you should consider is how old your solar panels are and if they have been cleaned before so they do not get damaged by chemicals that may be harmful to older technology like cadmium sulfide cells (which were used in older technology).
Let the sun do some of the work for you – use weather conditions to your advantage when cleaning
Gently rinse off the cleaning solution with a hose and let the intensity of the sun help you remove streaks or stubborn spots. Contrary to what you might think, intense sunlight can make your panels run more efficiently — just be sure not to leave them running too long when there’s dirt on them as this can reduce their efficiency! Leave them to dry in direct sunlight for at least two hours afterward rinsing so that they are spot-free and streak-free.
Keep an eye out for safely harvesting rainwater to clean larger installations or if you have difficulty accessing all of your panel surfaces
While rainwater is a great choice for overall panel cleaning, it can be tricky to harvest safely. If you’re having difficulty accessing all of your panel surfaces with a simple hand-held spray bottle, you may want to look into more sophisticated ways of harvesting and using rainwater. For larger installations, you’ll want to explore this option to clean the panels quickly and evenly.
The composition of your roof or whatever surface they are on
The solution needs to be non-toxic and non-corrosive. If you can, find an all-natural solution that contains only plant-based ingredients (or at least a few natural ones). This way, you won't have to worry about any harmful chemicals getting into the water supply, or the fact that some ingredients might be harmful to animals if their bodies come in contact with them for too long.
It should be pH neutral (around 7). The pH scale goes between 0 and 14; anything below 7 is considered acidic, while anything above 7 is considered basic; most cleaners will have a neutral pH level of around 7; this means that it's neither basic nor acidic. You'll want to keep this in mind before using any cleaner so as not to do more harm than good when cleaning your panels!
A good rule of thumb is that soap and water should only be used if your local weather is dry and free of extreme heat or cold and if you get an average amount of precipitation every year
The reason for this is that excess moisture can cause the solar panels to malfunction. Solar panels work best when they are in direct sunlight with no air moisture between them and the sun. If you live in an area where it rains a lot, then it is recommended that you use a different cleaning solution on your solar panels such as vinegar or alcohol-based cleaners.
Cleaning Solar Panels the right way will keep them running at peak efficiency for years
Cleaning solar panels is a job that requires patience, experience, and the right cleaning solution. If you’re new to solar panel cleaning, make sure to use the right tools and follow these steps:
✅ Cleaning frequency – Clean your panels at least once per week or as often as you can. Wash them in the morning when temperatures are cooler so that water doesn’t stay on for too long.
✅ Tools – Use a soft sponge free of dirt, debris, or fabric lint; a stiff bristle brush; distilled water mixed with a small amount of detergent (around 1 part soap to 5 parts water); and an old toothbrush or paintbrushes if necessary. Wear gloves while using any type of brush since it can scratch glass if it has rough edges or bristles that protrude too much from its body (don't worry - there are plenty available on Amazon!).
Avoid using harsh chemical cleaners as this can reduce efficiency
When cleaning your solar panels, it’s important to avoid using any harsh chemicals like bleach, detergent, or abrasive cleaners. This can damage the surface of the solar panel and decrease its efficiency over time. Stick with a gentle non-abrasive cleaner and warm water solution instead — this will help ensure that your solar panels stay in top condition for years to come!
Disconnect or Block Your Gutters or Rainwater Collectors
Before beginning your solar panel cleaning, it's important to make sure that no water is running into any drains or gutters where they could potentially collect rainwater and send it into your panels. If there are still leaks after disconnecting these drains, then you'll need to block them up with some kind of material such as plastic wrap before starting your cleaning process.
Clean your Solar Panels with Vinegar
Once you have removed all excess rust, pour a few tablespoons of vinegar into each panel and let it sit for at least 8 hours before rinsing off with water or using a hose attachment on your water to wash away any leftover vinegar or other materials left behind by the process (this process is called acid etching). You may also want to vacuum out all air pockets inside the panels after this step has been performed to prevent future corrosion when cleaning them again later down the road (again, make sure only water comes into contact with these panels during this process!).
Good suppliers will have a cleaning solution that covers all of these bases and more. It’s worth investigating the options available to you before making a decision on what cleaning solution is right for you.
If you want to focus on solar power, you should use the latest products that can help you in providing top services. If you are striving for excellence, then Oz cleaner is what you are looking for. We strive for excellence and our professional solar panel washing solution gives us that perfect output that boosts the efficiency of the panels. We also provide window cleaning, Roof cleaning or restoration, and pressure cleaning service.
